Environmental Impact of Clay Mining in Mangalapuram of Kerala, India

摘要

Mangalapuram is a thickly populated place in Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala. It has standing crops of coconut, rubber and paddy. But vast areas of these agricultural fields, coconut and rubber plantations have been leased for clay mining activities. Mining involves removal of topsoil and overburden using motorized bulldozers and transportation of clay by trucks or lorries to processing plants. Clays are processed to obtain mineral constituents that are used as paper coating materials, additives to rubber, refractory material, manufacture of paints, thickener in pharmaceuticals, manufacture of talcum powder, ceramics etc. As a result of reckless mining activities taking place in the area, there are anaesthetic sights of very deep excavations, haphazard waste dumps, piling dumps of overburden, deep and dangerous mine water bodies, destroyed vegetation and waste lands that cannot be used either for living or for agriculture. Because mining takes place in the midst of human settlement, it creates great concern to people and their land holdings. The hustle and bustle of drilling by JCB and plying of trucks and tipper lorries have disturbed the normal life of the people around the mines. Threats to their peaceful life and property have increased because of continued issue of licences for mining operations in more and more areas. This has been further aggravated by the real estate purchases by mining companies offering attractive prices.Mining areas which have concluded operation of winning clay minerals (old mines) have not been reclaimed and restored. Similarly biological restoration has not been undertaken. Since degradation is the most serious environmental consequence of clay mining, it is suggested that land reclamation of all mines should be undertaken simultaneous with the on-going mining operations in Mangalapuram.